A host-microbiota interactome reveals extensive transkingdom connectivity. (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38509360/)

These scientists wanted to understand how the tiny organisms that live in and on our bodies can affect our health. They discovered that these organisms can interact with proteins in our bodies in different ways. To study this, they developed a new technology called BASEHIT. With BASEHIT, they looked at over 1.7 million possible interactions between 519 types of bacteria that live in or on humans and over 3,000 human proteins.

They found a big network of connections between the bacteria and the human proteins. Some bacteria had similar protein interactions, and some bacteria interacted with specific proteins found in certain parts of the body. They also noticed that different bacteria had different effects on human cells in the lab and on the immune system in live animals.

Overall, this study showed that there are many ways in which the tiny organisms living on and in us can affect our health. By understanding these interactions, scientists can learn more about how these organisms impact our bodies and our health.

Sonnert ND., Rosen CE., Ghazi AR., Franzosa EA., Duncan-Lowey B., Gonzalez-Hernandez JA., Huck JD., Yang Y., Dai Y., Rice TA., Nguyen MT., Song D., Cao Y., Martin AL., Bielecka AA., Fischer S., Guan C., Oh J., Huttenhower C., Ring AM., Palm NW. A host-microbiota interactome reveals extensive transkingdom connectivity. Nature. 2024 Mar 20. doi: 10.1038/s41586-024-07162-0.